Rotary forming head for converting machinery



G. H. HANNO-N 3,108,034 ROTARY FORMING HEAD FOR CONVERTING MACHINEfiY Oct. 22, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1959 IN VEN TOR. GILBERT H HANNON M 563% ATTORNEY ROTARY. FORMING HEAD FOR CONVERTING MACHINERY Filed. June 5, 1959 G. H. HANNON Oct. 22, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I G 4 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII- i 4 IIII!IllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllIIIIIIIIIIIlIIIIIII/IIIIIIII/ll I I I I I v I a l I I 4 I I 4 I 4 I I n 4 n I I I I I I I n I I i n i A lsrw uvmvrozm GILBERT H. HANNON BYWdAdM F0.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,108,034 ROTARY FORMING HEAD FOR CONVERTING MACHlNERY Gilbert H. Hannon, Sheboygan, Wis., assignor to H. G. Weber and Company, Inc, Kiel, Wis. Filed June 5, 1959, Ser. No. 818,334 Claims. (Cl. 156-582) This invention relates to a device for providing a plurality of sequential operations on a moving strip of material and more particularly to converting machinery wherein a forming head provides a plurality of accurately controlled repetitive operations on a continuously moving strip or web of material.

In converting machines employing rotary repetitive cycle heating, crimping or cutting operations or a combination thereof, the forming elements are usually arranged so as to engage the moving web of material for a limited or negligable period of time. These forming elements merely from a momentary line contact with the moving web and the forming elements function must be accomplished during that brief period of time. This is a a disadvantage which the present invention overcomes by the claimed rotary forming head.

In accordance with the invention claimed a new and improved device for performing a plurality of operations on a strip or web of moving material is provided. This device comprises in combinatoin a roller mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis, a first means mounted on the circumference of the roller for engaging the material at a predetermined point along its path of rotation for performing a useful act thereon, the material being fed along a predetermined path around at least a part of the roller, and a second means mounted adjacent the roller for adjustably controlling the time that the material is in contact with the first means.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device for providing a plurality of accurately controlled repetitive operations on a continuously moving strip of material.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved device for providing a plurality of repetitive operations on a continuously moving strip of material which may be accurately adjusted to vary the time of contact with the material.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved device for providing a plurality of operations on a continuously moving web of material wherein the wrap of the material around forming rollers may be varied.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved forming device in which flimsy material is actuated along a given path by movement of a forming roller.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved forming head in which the Wrap of the material around more than one forming roller may be individually varied to control the time of a forming operation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved forming head employing a plurality of forming elements in which the wrap of the material around a plurality of guiding rollers may be individually controlled to vary the time of contact of the material with each individual forming element.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a film or web forming apparatus embodying the invention;

between to perform an operation thereon.

3,108,034 Patented Oct. 22, 1963 FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the film or web forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 showing the driving mechanism for the forming elements;

FIG. 3 is a partial left end view of a repetitive cycle device embodying the various features of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 3 taken along the line 4-4; and

KG. 5 is a partial perspective view of one of the forming elements shown in FIGS. 1-4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings by characters of reference FIGS. 14 illustrate a repetitive cycle operating device it which is illustrated in operative arrangement with a continuous moving strip or web of material 11. In the description following, the invention is described with relation to pressure operating means such as a sealing head operating on a flat tube of pliable plastic material or a pair of superimposed strips of pliable plastic material such as extruded polyethylene to form sequentially a plurality of bags, but it is to be understood that this new and improved pressure operating or forming head may be employed to produce any form of ma- 7 chine action on a continuously moving strip of any type of material, such as for example, paper, plastics, fiber, rubber or metal strips as the case may be. This invention and the structure disclosed employing its novel feaaures may be used on an unlimited variety of machinery such as automatic wrappers, bag or pouch making machines, etc.

The repetitive cycle operating device 10 is mounted on a base 12 over or through which the tube or strips or web of superimposed material 11 pass. The web of material 11 may be fed to the forming head or operating device 10 in any suitable manner and in FIG. 1 it will be seen that web 11 is fed around or over at least a part of rollers 13, 14, 15 and 16. Rollers 13, 14-, 15 and 16 not only flatten the Web of material 11 but also keep it in contact over that portion of its subject to the operation of device 10.

Device 19, as shown in FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, further comprises, for example, a pair of parallelly arranged, axially rotatable forming elements or rollers 17 and 18. Rollers 17 and :18 comprise shafts 20, 20', respectively, having spacedly mounted thereon transversely to the shafts a pair of disk members 21, 22 and 21, 22.. Each of the disk members have a plurality of apertures 23 spacedly arranged around the circumference thereof for each receiving and rotatably mounting and supporting one end of a roller element 25. Roller elements 25 are arranged to extend in parallel arrangement between the disk members 21, 22 and 21, 22 of rollers 17 and 18 and form a moving bed for material 11 to pass thereon.

Rollers 17 and 18 are each so arranged that they can support along the circumferences of disk members 21, 22 and 21, 22' one or more spaced forming heads 27, 27' which cooperate together to engage with web 11 there- During the period of engagement with each other and web 11, the forming heads 27, 27 are actuated along a predetermined path through device 10 at the same speed as web 11.

Roller members 17 and 18 are parallelly arranged and rotatably mounted between side members 30 and 30' of device 10 and are actuated for rotary movement by a pair of matching gears or sprockets 31, 31. Sprockets 31, 31' are fixedly secured to shafts 20, 20, respectively. Shafts 20, 2t) are rotated by a driven shaft 32 rotatably mounted between side member 30, 30" through suitable matching gears or sprockets 33 and 34. Driven shaft 32 is actuated by a drive shaft 36 which, for example, may be spaced from and transversely arranged with shaft 32 through a pair of gears 37 and 38, fixedly arranged on shafts 32 and 36, respectively, in rotating meshing engages) ment with each other. Shaft 36 may be actuated by an endless belt or chain (not shown) from any suitable source of power, for example, a constant speed drive such as an electric motor.

Forming heads 27, 27' are shown herein as temperature controlled sealing heads and their description will be covered in detail herein but it is to be understood that any other type of forming head may be readily attached to the disk members of rollers 17 and 18 to cause the desired cooperating action to perform a useful function. The sealing members 27, 27' contain a thermal element such as high temperature, high resistance rods 39, 39 and sealing bars 40, 40 respectively, formed to provide sealing ridges or limited surface areas on the web engaging surfaces of the sealing members. The high resistance rods 39, 39' are energized by a suitable electric source through suitable ring connections 4-1, one of which is shown in FIG. 4, a thermal-couple (not shown) and conductors 42 threaded through the hollow centers of shafts 20, 20'. Upon continuous rotation of rollers 17 and 18, forming heads 27, 27 sequentially cooperatively engage the web of material 11 therebetween at spaced intervals to form a heat sealing operation.

In order to make device readily useable with a large variety of forms of strip or web material rollers 14 and are adjustably mounted so that their positions with respect to the point of cooperative engagement of the forming heads with one another and the web of material 11 may be varied. This is accomplished by mounting shafts 14 and 15 on bracket arms 45 one arranged at each end of shafts 2t), (two of which are shown in FIG. 3). Bracket arms 45 are pivotally mounted around the center line of shafts 20, 20', respectively, and are held in a given position by clamping screws 46 which pass through slots 47 in the bracket arms and lock the arms to the side members 30, 30' of device 10.

By varying the positions of rollers 14 and 15 with respect to given points on the circumference of rollers 17 and 18, respectively, the amount of wrap of material 11 around each of the rollers can be controlled. This is important in controlling the movement of material 11 through device 10. Upon rotation of rollers 17 and 18 the roller elements are rotated around shafts 20, 20'. Each element 25 is loosely journaled in the disk members forming rollers 17 and 18 and upon any force applied transversely to its longitudinal axis causes it to rotate about its own axis. Thus, when a web of material is fed around rollers 17 and 18 and is caused to wrap at least partly therearound the roller elements 25 rotate about themselves as they rotate with rollers 17 and 18 about shafts 20, 20, respectively. Because there is a certain amount of resistance to the rotation of roller elements 25 they can apply a force to the web of material along its longitudinal axis to aid the material in its movement through device 10. Roller elements 25 may be the only longitudinal force applied to material 11 or it may be used in addition to another force provided for causing material 11 to pass through device 10. In view of the fact that roller elements 25 may be loosely mounted in the disk members the amount of eflect of elements 25 on material may be accurately controlled. Further, by varying the amount of wrap of material 11 around either or both of rollers 17 and 18 the effect of roller elements 25 on material 11 can be further varied and controlled by increasing or decreasing the number of roller elements coming in contact with the material at any one time.

If elements 27 used on rollers 17 and 18 are heating and sealing devices, by varying the wrap of the material around rollers 17 and 18 the amount of time that elements 27 are in contact with the material can be varied. Thus, if a relatively long heating cycle is needed before the cooperating forming heads 27, 27 engage each other then the wrap of the material around rollers 17 and 18 can be increased. If it is desired to only increase the wrap of material around one of the two rollers 17 and 18 and not the other such an adjustment is possible with the disclosed structure.

Many times the type of material used in the web requires more or less Wrap of material around rollers 17 and 18 and such an adjustment is possible with the disclosed structure with a minimum of operations. Although a single heating unit has been disclosed as the forming head on each of rollers 17 and 18 it is within the scope of this disclosure to use one or more forming heads on either or both of rollers 17 and 18 or any number of forming heads on any one or both of the rollers 17 and 18 regardless of whether the forming heads are of like type or are different forming, sealing, cutting or web treating mechanisms.

Brackets 48, one of which is shown in FIG. 3, are provided at each end of shaft 20 and are eccentrically pivoted in side members 30, 30 such as to be rotatable about centerline 49. Bearings are mounted in brackets 48 to provide rotatable mountings for shaft 20 about its centerline 50. As shown in FIG. 3 the centerlines 49 and 50 are spaced a predetermined distance from each other. Adjustment of brackets 48 about the axis of rotation 49 will cause shaft 20 to move axially toward or away from shaft 20. Through proper adjustment of brackets 48 the pressure of contact of bars 40 and 40' can be varied to suit the type of material for any individual application.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A device for performing an operation on a web of a material comprising in combination a pair of parallelly arranged rollers rotatably mounted around their longitudinal axis, a pair of cooperating pressure operating members one mounted on the circumference of each of said rollers, said members at a predetermined point along their path of rotation cooperatively engaging the material moving therebetween, the material being fed along a predetermined path around at least a part of each of said rollers, and adjustably mounted material guiding means arranged one adjacent each of said rollers for varying the amount of wrap of the material around said rollers for varying the tension on the material to control its movement through the device, each of said guiding means being individually adjustable along an arcuate path formed by a radius extending from the longitudinal axis of said adjacent roller to vary the wrap of the material around a different one of said rollers.

2. A device for performing an operation on a web of material comprising in combination a pair of parallelly arranged rollers each rotatably mounted around their longitudinal axis, a pair of cooperating heat sealing members one mounted on the circumference of each of said rollers, said members at a predetermined point along their path of rotation cooperatively engaging the material moving therebetween, the material being fed along a predetermined path around at least a part of each of said rollers, and adjustably mounted material guiding roller means mounted one adjacent each of said rollers for varying the amount of wrap of the material around said rollers for varying the tension on the material to control its movement through the device, said guiding means being positionable along an arcuate path formed by a radius extending from the longitudinal axis of one of said rollers to said guiding means.

3. A device for performing an operation on a web of material comprising in combination a pair of parallelly arranged rollers each rotatably mounted around their longtiudinal axis, said rollers each having mounted around their periphery a plurality of roller elements for reducing the friction of material passing over said rollers, each of said element being parallelly arranged with the longitudinal axis of the roller upon which it is mounted, a pair of cooperating heat sealing members each mounted on the periphery of a difierent one of said rollers, said members at a predetermined point along their path of rotation c0- operaitvely engaging the material moving therebetween, the material being fed along a predetermined path around at least a part of each of said rollers, and an adjustably mounted material guiding means mounted adjacent said rollers for varying the amount of wrap of the material around said rollers for varying the tension on the material to control its movement through the device.

4. A device for performing an operation on a Web of material comprising in combination a pair of parallelly arranged rollers each rotatably mounted around their longtiudinal axis, said rollers each having mounted around their periphery a plurality of roller elements for reducing the friction of material passing over said rollers, each of said elements being parallelly arranged with the longitudinal axis of the roller upon which it is mounted, a pair of cooperating heat sealing members each mounted on the periphery of a difierent one of said rollers, said members at a predetermined point along their path of rotation cooperatively engaging the material moving therebetween, the material being fed along a predetermined path around at least a part of each of said rollers, and an adjustably mounted material guiding means mounted one adjacent each of said rollers for varying the amount of wrap of the material around said rollers for varying the tension on the material to control its movement through the device, each of said guiding means being positionable along an arcuate path formed by a radius extending from the longitudinal axis of said adjacent roller to said guiding means.

5. In a heated bar roll for heating transverse bands of adhesive on the insides of tubular webs to accommodate sealing of the tubular web for the making of paper bags, at least two circumferentially spaced heater bars, and a series of freely rotatable rollers forming a circumferential continuation of said heater bars and accommodating free shifting movement of the web along the roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,853,569 Moller Apr 12, 1932 2,067,755 Dyer Jan 12, 1937 2,158,754 Hodgdon May 16, 1939 2,444.785 Rackett July 6, 1948 2,680,471 Mercer June 8, 1954 2,788,587 Dsenis Apr. 16, 1957 

1. A DEVICE FOR PERFORMING AN OPERATION ON A WEB OF A MATERIAL COMPRISING INCOMBINATION A PAIR OF PARALLELLY ARRANGED ROLLERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED AROUND THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXIS, A PAIR OF COOPERATING PRESSURE OPERATING MEMBERS ONE MOUNTED ON THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF EACH OF SAID ROLLERS, SAID MEMBERS ATR A PREDETERMINED POINT ALONG THEIR PATH OF ROTATION COOPERATIVELY ENGAGING THE MATERIAL MOVING THEREBETWEEN, THE MATERIAL BEING FED ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH AROUND AT LEAST A PART OF EACH OF SAID ROLLERS, AND ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED MATERIAL GUIDING MEANS ARRANGED ONE ADJACENT EACH OF SAID ROLLERS FOR VARYING THE AMOUNT OF WRAP OF THE MATERIAL AROUND SAID ROLLERS FOR VARYING THE TENSION ON THE MATERIAL TO CONTROL ITS MOVEMENT THROUGH THE DEVICE, EACH OF SAID GUIDING MEANS BEING INDIVIDUALLY ADJUSTABLE ALONG AN ARCUATE PATH FORMED BY A RADIUS EXTENDING FROM THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID ADJACENT ROLLER TO VARY THE WRAP OF THE MATERIAL AROUND A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID ROLLERS. 